She’d spent the day cleaning up the lobby and arranging the plants Lorna had given her. The woman had been very generous, supplying her with five pots of dark-purple petunias, which now hung around the porch, their velvety purple flowers spilling out of the baskets and trailing toward the ground.
She’d also given Maddie two large pots of mixed flowers to put on either side of the steps and flats of impatiens to plant along the walkway. It had taken her most of the day to plant them, but it felt good to dig in the dirt, and when she stepped back to look at her handiwork, she was surprised at how much the addition of the flowers transformed the look of the motel from a neglected run-down building to a cozy motel that just might need a few touch-ups.
Ready for a break, she peeled her gardening gloves off and wiped sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. Her phone rang. It was Rose.
“Dex tells me things are looking good over at the motel.”
“They are. It’s shaping up nicely.” Over at the rooms, Dex and Riley were just cleaning up. Jules and Gina were working on their last room, and Maddie supposed that later that night, they would finish the two rooms that just got painted.
“That’s great,” Rose said. “If you guys want to take a break, you should see what’s happening downtown. The girls and I are getting an ice cream. Come join us. You won’t believe how nice it looks.”
From her vantage point at the motel, Maddie could see a portion of the downtown area. She’d seen people busily moving about down there and noticed an awning getting replaced and a few sheets of plywood coming down, but she would love to see the whole effect.
“That sounds like a good idea. I’ll get Gina and Jules, and we’ll meet you there in about ten minutes.”
She started toward the rooms, nodding at Dex, who was putting a ladder in his truck on the other side of the parking lot. She really should go over and thank him, but something about him made warning bells ding in her head, so she simply waved and continued past.
Gina and Jules were each on a different side of the bed, putting on a bedspread with a colorful seashell design. They each straightened their sides, and both stood back. They had managed to change the room from outdated and stuffy to new and cozy. Who knew that just some new bedding and accessories could accomplish that?
Maddie stopped in the doorway. “Hey, you guys want to take a break and head downtown? Rose says the town is looking great.”
“Sure,” Jules said. “We’re done here anyway.”
“It looks really fantastic,” Maddie said. “You guys transformed it.”
“We rearranged the bed and bureau so when you walk in, it looks more welcoming,” Gina said.
“And the new bedding brightens it up,” Jules added. “We should have thought to order new curtains. That’s next on the list.”
“Amazing! I knew you guys could do it,” Maddie said.
Jules and Gina were practically beaming, and Maddie felt proud that she’d somehow had a hand in getting them to work together.
“Thanks. It was kind of fun.” Gina held her fist out toward Jules. “To teamwork!”
Jules smiled and bumped Gina’s fist. “Teamwork!”
Maddie could feel a bond forming between them. She’d fulfilled her promise to Gram, but somehow she felt that her job in Shell Cove wasn’t done.
Gina and Jules looked as surprised at the fist bump as she was.
She didn’t want them to overthink the gesture. “Okay, great. Let’s get going. Rose mentioned something about ice cream.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Wow, this place does look really different.” Jules smiled as she scanned the shops on the main street of town. Just yesterday many of the windows had been boarded up with plywood, the window boxes held only dirt and twigs, and the street looked sad and unused.
Today, the plywood had been removed from the shops that weren’t in business. Colorful flowers spilled out of every window box as well as the large planters on the sidewalk, and the streets had been swept clean.
The glass in the windows of every store gleamed, and it looked like someone had painted the trim on the outside. Even the stores that were closed had shed their look of abandonment with sparkling clean windows and large potted plants in front of the doors. The insides were mostly empty, but they could see a few old display cases and furniture that held a promise of businesses to come.
There were more people milling about than she’d ever seen. They were smiling, talking, laughing, and there was a festive vibe.
“How did you make out with the flowers?” Lorna Baxter stopped next to them. She held a vibrant-pink hanging plant in each hand.
“Excellent,” Maddie said. “They make such a difference. Thank you so much for offering them. If you ever have relatives or friends who want to visit Shell Cove, we’ll give you a big discount on rooms at the Beachcomber.”
Lorna smiled. “Thanks. I might take you up on that. I guess I better go hang these. There are still a few more to put up.” She headed off toward Ocean Brew, where Jules could see she’d already strategically hung two other plants along the front. Inside, the coffee shop was abuzz, with Cassie busy behind the counter and people sitting at the tables, sipping coffees and hot chocolates.
